One of the biggest hurdles is the software that runs in our brains. It's almost like we have inadvertently downloaded a virus that operates on our mindset slowing down our performance, speed and efficiency in achieving our goals.

Having coached and counselled thousands of clients, my experience tells me that it’s not so much ‘what to a manage to move forward” but it’s working out “how to move forward”.This concept separates high performance/significance versus mediocre performance/existence.

Finding the sweet spot lies within us but unfortunately most people and businesses are searching outside of themselves. My observations are that people need to spend a lot more time developing inwardly versus outwardly. Being successful or achieving more significance leaves clues.The secret of getting ahead is getting started. The secret of getting started is breaking your complex, overwhelming tasks into small manageable tasks. Then start on the first one. That doesn’t mean it has to be done by you. I struggled for many years with the concept of asking for help and delegating. I had all these ideas in my head and I had expectations of how things were to be achieved. It was just easier if I did it, then it would be done the way I wanted it. It took me some time to give up this mindset. Yes, the pressure cooker in my head had no room for more work or more demands. The term “Let go”stuck with me one day. That was also a day I let go of one of my former bosses. It has been one of the major secrets to my success.

I have found that being successful and improving performance leaves clues. I make it my business to help people find the clues to achieve their success. Whether it’s a project, a new business venture, a new strategy or a new partnership.The high performer goes searching for clues. The implications for not searching are obvious….

Here is something for you. “Nothing is really new”. It has been done before.

Okay, want to know more?

Whether it’s in the mind or on paper, many of our issues, problems have been dealt with before. There is a concept of sameness everywhere we go. Many businesses have the same objectives, same challenges all over the world. There are 7 billion people in this world, all with creative and intelligent minds in their own right. We basically all share the same DNA. The difference is that some people make different decisions about what they think about. These decisions combined with actions achieve different results.

The Clue

Personally, I tend to ask for help where I can. I don’t waste time in trying to always work the problem out. I have found many people willing to help. On the flip side, I have encountered many people will not. Let go of them. These people control information because they live in a world of fear and insecurity. That is, they are attached to an imagined concept of self-importance or attached to an image of themselves losing something. They are afraid of co-workers finding out the real person behind the position.Do you know the person in the office who controls knowledge or skills in fear that someone might use it and look better than them?

Remember, by being a person who is a multiplier and not a divider of information makes very good sense. If your work area is not operating like this then you’re losing power and influence. Most importantly you’re losing staff engagement, customers and potential profit.

Many of us in the corporate world unfortunately have reinvented the wheel due to the fantasies of self-importance which are underpinned by our self-limiting beliefs. The belief that we must achieve the task on our own and that we will be rewarded for our efforts. Too many people have the mindset that sharing the problem or asking for help is a sign of weakness or incompetence. In fact, this is the hallmark of a successful leader, an enlarger and a multiplier.

Your job is to ask people smarter than yourself for the information. It's knowing your people, knowing their skills and seeking out their abilities to assist you.

One of my suggestions is to review your business or project management knowledge management policy, processes and systems. I see much duplication, rework, overprocessing, overproduction, wasted effort, wasted talent, wasted time in meetings etc. Not good for people, not good for profit.

Not real good at all….

We are in knowledge worker economy…..Work smarter, not harder. People will thank you when you raise the following questions in your business or project meetings. Is this the best way to do this? Is there a better way? What could we improve? Who will we get involved to help us?When can we get started?

ChallengeLet go of fantasies of your self-importance. That is “Ego”, stop saying“I” for one day at work.Find someone like a coach, mentor or colleague to help you. Write an action plan, do it, review it, change it, reward it.Encourage your work area to have knowledge fairs, mentoring schemes, lunch and learn sessions or breakfast byte meetings tec.

Get Started, success leaves clues, the software is everywhere and free. So ask for it and keep asking….